Portable fire escape



June 26, 1951 J. BARRY PORTABLE FIRE ESCAPE 4 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Oct. 9, 194'? Jules anrry June 26, 1951 J. BARRY PORTABLE FIRE ESCAPE Filed Oct. 9, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 `lune 26, 1951 J, BARRY PORTABLE FIRE ESCAPE 4 Sheets-Sheet i Filed OCT.. 9, 1947 Im x 1 June 26, 1951 J. BARRY 2,558,122

PORTABLE FIRE ESCAPE Filed OCt 9, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented June 26, Y1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE FIRE ESCAPE Jules Barry, Arabi, La.

Application October 9, 1947, Serial No. 778,855

10 Claims. 1

This invention relates to fire escapes of the portable type, as distinguished from escapes 'in which the equipment is fixed to the building and from which the user descends on an escape rope payed out from the fixed equipment. Portable types, of the general character of the present invention, are of such make-up that the release rope is suitably anchored at its end in or to the building, the rope handling equipment being .so constructed and arranged that it descends with the user, the rope being payed out from the portable equipment during the descent. This portable ltype has the advantage that it can be controlled by the user and its action is not dependent on the operation of automatic control devices such as are used in .the fixed type and the operation of which the user, after leaving the building, cannot regulate to meet the needs of the situation.

Briefly stated, the present invention comprises a rope boom of novel construction to which the end of the escape rope is Secured; a reel-support in which is mounted a revoluble reel-carrying shaft on which the escape rope is wound; a :seat for the user carried by the escape cable; and means under the control of the `user by which he may regulate the speed of descent.l Additionally, automatic braking means is provided for checking the nal stages of the descent, so that the paying out of the escape rope will be automatically governed in the last stages of the descent, and danger of any sudden impact of the user with the ground will be eliminated.

In the drawings herewith is illustrated one physical embodiment of the invention, and in said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation ofthe equipment showing the rope in reeled position.

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View .on substantially the line 3 3, Fig. 2, vlooking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view on substantially the line 4 4, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a view in vertical section.

Figure 6 is a view in elevation, partly in section, showing the cables in partially unreeled position.

Figure '7 is a detail sectional view of the escape and braking cable coupling on substantially the line 'I-'I, Fig. 6.

Figure 8 is a view, partly in section, to show the coupling for manually controlled brake bands.

Figure .9 .is an enlarged detail view of escape rope coupling.

Figure 10 .is a view in elevation of the brake band coupling on substantially the line IIL-I0, Fig. 8, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 11 is a detail sectional view of the brake shoe 'for the automatic brake.

Figure 12 is a View in elevation of the rope boom or support to which the escape rope is secured.

Figure 13 is a detail view of the boom support.

Figure 14 shows the device at the start of the descent.

Figure 15 shows the device approaching the end of the descent.

Referring to the drawings by numbers, the same numbers designating the same parts in the several views, Ill designates side plates coupled by rods I I,Jfour being shown in the present instance, this structure forming the main support. The upper and lower coupling rods I I have additional functions, as will be pointed out hereinafter. Mounted in the supports Iii is a shaft I2, freely rotatable in thesupport and having a slight clearance as at I3 .so as to permit some play of the shaft I2 in Side plates I. Mounted on the shaft I2 are spaced brake drums I4, preferably hollow, as

shown, and secured to the shaft I2 is the escape cable I5, Two brake drums are shown as these give'a balanced and eilicient braking action. As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, cable I5 is wound upon the Vshaft I2 and is provided at its outer end with means for attaching it to a xed support or boom, a ring I Ii being here shown. The cable I5 passes through an eye I'I, shown in detail in Fig. 9, which eye I1, is carried by a U-shaped member Illv pivoted on the upper rod II. The end of shaft I2 may be provided with a socket Iza or other suitable formation to receive a handle I2b for rewinding purposes.

The brake drums I4 are provided with brake bands I 9 secured at their lower ends to a movable band Iactuating rod 2i] having hand holds 2 I, this rod ZI) being mounted for movement in slots `23 in the side plates Ill. At their upper ends, the brake bands I9 are connected to a coupling 24 carried by a rod 25 adjustably mounted in the upper rod II of the side plate holding rods. The coupling .24 is slotted at 2l so as to permit relative movement between the pin 28 carried by the rod 25 and the coupling 24 under pressure of thespring 25, brake band I9 being `connected by pin29 to the lower end of the coupling 24. The brake band rod 20 is adjacent the rod I I so that the operator by grasping the projecting ends of the rod II which form xed hand holds', and the hand holds 2| on the movable rod 20, can apply brake band pressure to the drums I4 and regulate their rotation as the escape Wire is unreeled, this manual control of the rod 20 Working against the tension of the spring 26, which normally maintains the brake bands in non-braking position. With this arrangement, the speed of descent is always under the control of the user of the device and he can regulate the rotation of the brake drums and the speed of descent to suit his needs. In order to prevent complete freezing of the drum against rotation which might occur if the user of the drum became panicky or excited and applied excessive pressure to the hand controls, the brake bands I9, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, are less in extent than the periphery of the drum I4 so that while the rotation of the drum can be properly controlled, danger of stopping rotation completely is minimized. Preferably the active surface of the band will be approximately one-third of the drum area.

Hung from the lower rod H by a suitable link connection, is a seat support 33, here shown as a iiexible member, and to this support 3G is secured by means of a detachable coupling 3I, a

chair supporting cable 32 which is coupled to a waist band 33 adapted to encircle the waist of the user, a seat band 34 being carried by the waist band 33. The waist band and seat band are both adjustable to nt persons of different sizes. The ring I6 will be engaged with a boom or support 35 and the user seated in the chair will lower himself, controlling the speed of descent as pointed out.

A sleeve 3S is nxedly secured at one end to a side plate I0, shaft I2 revolving in this sleeve. rlhe sleeve 36 is threaded and has mounted thereon an auxiliary brake drum 31 on which is wound a pick-up cable 38 having an eye 3S at its upper end through which the release cable I runs. Normally, the pick-up cable 38 will be wound on the drum 31, as shown in Figs. l, 2, 3, and 5, so that the cable I5, traversing the eye I1, will move freely during the descent. The cable I5 is provided at any appropriate point in its length with an enlarged portion 4D, here shown as a sleeve lug, which will pass through the eye I1 but will engage the eye 39 on the pick-up cable 38, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The placing of the enlarged sleeve lug 46 will be determined by the length of the descent, so that it will become effective at a predetermined time. The enlargement 4i! on cable l5 will be set to pick up the eye 39 and start draft on the cable 38 at a point on the cable I5 dependent on the drop of the equipment. It'may be set to go into action at any desired distance from the ground, 18 or 20 feet being a reasonable distance, and when the enlargement 4U picks up the eye 33 and exerts draft on the cable 38 it will run the reel 31 in on the fixed threaded sleeve 36 toward the brake drum I4, moving from the position shown in Figs. l, 2, and 5 to that shown in Fig. 6. The drum 31 is provided with spaced friction braking pads 4I of more or less triangular shape so as to bring about a gradually increasing friction as the pad 4I enters the drum I4. As the pads 4I on the drum 31 enter the drum I4, a gradual braking effect will be produced which will slow down the main reel on which the release cable I5 is mounted and, during the final stages of the descent, reduce the speed so as to prevent any shock in landing. The construction is such that there will be no sudden grabbing of the pads 4I with the drum I4, and complete stoppage, but a gradual slowing here shown as carried by a plate 42 fixed to the side of the building or to the window casing, the plate 42 having boom supporting lugs 43, as shown in Figs. 12 and 14. These lugs 43 are offset to give an unbalanced pivotal mounting for the boom, so that the tendency of the boom 35 is to swing outwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 12 immediately weight is put upon it, a stop 44 being provided on the plate 42 to limitl the outward movement of the boom. With this construction of boom, it will be seen that, immediately the equipment is launched for descent, the weight will swing the boom outwardly to position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 14, clear of the wall of the building and permit the user to descend without hitting the wall.

Equipment constructed in accordance with this disclosure provides for a controlled descent by the user in a position of clearance from the wall of the building, and such manually controlled descent is supplemented by the automatic pickup cable and drum so that impact with the ground, in event of manual control being insufiicient or inappropriately applied, is eliminated and all danger of shock by reason of ground impact by the user is eliminated.

The embodiment of the invention as here disclosed is illustrative and not restrictive. Such changes in construction as amount only to mechanical skill and fall within the terms of the appended claims are to be regarded as within the purview of the invention.

I claim:

1. A re escape comprising a reel support, a shaft rotatably mounted in said support, a release cable on said shaft, a brake drum rotatable relative to said shaft, a brake band engageable with said drum, coupling means connecting one end of said brake band to said support and including a coil spring for normally holding said band in an inactive position relative to the drum, and a manually operable rod mounted in said support and connected to the other end of said band for applying and releasing braking action on said drum.

2. A nre escape comprising side plates, rods connecting said side plates, a shaft rotatably mounted in said side plates, a release cable on said shaft, a brake drum rotatable relative to said shaft, a brake band engageable with said drum, coupling means connecting one end of said brake band to said plates and including a coil spring for normally maintaining said band in an inactive position relative to the drum, a rod movably mounted in said side plates and having outwardly projecting hand holds, connections'between said movable rod and the other end of said band for applying and releasing braking action on said drum, and outwardly projecting hand holds on one of said rods adjacent said movable rod.

3. A re escape comprising a reel support, a shaft rotatably mounted in said support, a release cable on said shaft, a brake drum rotatable relative to said shaft, manually operable braking means for said drum, a cable reel mounted on said shaft and rotatable independently thereof, a pick-up cable on said reel, means to move said reel toward said brake drum, braking means on said reel to engage said drum, and means on said release cable to engage said pickup cable at a predetermined time and automatically apply braking action to said drum.

4. The invention as delined in claim 3 in which the means for moving said reel toward said brake drum comprises a Xed threaded sleeve on which said reel is rotatably mounted for longitudinal movement.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4 in which the means for moving said reel toward said brake drum comprises a threaded sleeve Xed to the support and surrounding said shaft on which said reel is rotatably mounted for longitudinal movement.

6. A lire escape comprising a reel support, a shaft rotatably mounted in said support, a release cable on said shaft, a braking drum, manually operable braking means to engage sai-1 drum, a cable reel mounted for rotation independently of said shaft and movable toward and from said drum, a pick-up cable on said reel, a brake on said reel to engage said drum, and adiust able means on said release cable to engage sain"` pick-up cable at a predetermined time and au` tomatically engage said brake with said brakin; drum.

7. A nre escape comprising a reel support, a shaft rotatably mounted in said support, a release cable on said shaft, a hollow braking drum, manually operable braking means to engage said drum, a cable reel mounted for rotation independently of said shaft and movable toward and from said hollow drum, a pick-up cable on said reel, a brake on said reel to engage said hollow7 drum, and adjustable means on said release cable to engage said pick-up cable at a predetermined time and automatically engage said brake with said braking drum.

8. A fire escape comprising a reel support, a shaft rotatably mounted in said support, a release cable on said shaft, a hollow braking drum, manually operable braking means to engage said drum, a cable reel mounted for rotation independently of said shaft and movable toward and from said hollow drum, a pick-up cable on said reel, spaced braking pads on said reel to engage said hollow drum, and adjustable means on said release cable to engage said pick-up cable at a predetermined time and automatically engage said brake with said braking drum.

9. A re escape comprising a reel support, a shaft rotatably mounted in said support, a release cable on said shaft, a hollow braking drum, manually operable braking means to engage said drum, a cable reel mounted for rotation independently of said shaft and movable toward and from sai-d hollow drum, a pick-up cable on said reel, spaced braking pads of generally triangular form on said reel to engage said hollow drum, and adjustable means on said release cable to engage said pick-up cable at a predetermined time and automatically engage said brake with said braking drum.

10. A fire escape comprising a reel support, a release cable reel rotatably mounted therein, a release cable on said reel having a boom-engagk ing end, a fixed support vertically offset pivot mountings on said support, and a boom having a cable engageable end pivoted in said offset mountings and` swingable automatically to extended position when weight is applied to the cable end of the boom.

JULES BARRY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 499,562 Murphy et al June 13, 1893 522,990 Kopp July 17, 1891.1. 607,556 Swyny et al. July 19, 1898 1,096,448 Murphy et al May 12, 1914 1,125,797 Bergenroth Jan. 19, 1915 

